virginiasprintseries Archives

Harris brings broom to Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL Bridge, Va. (May 25, 2024) – On the first hot humid night of the season, Jerald Harris was on a hot streak sweeping his heat and feature for his second Virginia Sprint Series feature win of the year. Harris and Matthew Leach paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field at Natural Bridge Speedway to green and Harris was out first with Leach, Chris Humblet and John Scarborough in tow. On lap two, Leach spun in turn two to reload the field and Harris took off again with Humblet and Scarborough racing for second. On lap five, Leach and John Smith got together, ending the night for both. Harris took off with Humblet and Scarborough right with him Dylan Shatzer and Caleb Harris were racing for fourth. Scarborough got by Humblet and was using the low line to close in on Harris that liked the higher line. Shatzer got by Humblet to get to third as the laps were clicking off fast. Traffic came into play as the race was winding down [Read More]

Bittner wins after Reed dominates at Hagerstown

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (May 18, 2024) – Timmy Bittner was in the right place at the right time. Austin Reed was not, in the Saturday feature race at Hagerstown Speedway co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series. With rain outs in the area everywhere, 35 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars signed in to the smooth fast oval and the feature line up was led by Ken Duke and Kenny Heffner. As the field went green, out front like a rocket was Reed, who started to pull away lap after lap, leaving Duke, Heffner and Bittner to fight over the runner-up spot. Reed was not going to be caught as the laps were winding down, with Bittner making his way to second, Heffner in third and Josh Spicer and Duke acing for fourth. But coming to two to go in turn three, it all went wrong with the leader getting together with a lapped car and going out of the park. Emergency personnel quickly made their way to help Reed. He [Read More]

Shatzer gets to lead late in Winchester RaceSaver win

WINCHESTER, Va. (April 27, 2024) – He didn’t lead the most laps, just the most important one. Dylan Shatzer raced in the top three for the whole feature and was finally able to swoop around the leader in traffic after taking the white flag in second and go on to win in the Saturday IMCA RaceSaver event co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series at Winchester Speedway. Matt Klien and Ryan Lynn started on the front row of the feature but Klien stopped in turn two with a broken rear axle, which could have been a disaster at speed. After clearing the car, Croix Beasom and Lynn paced the field to green with Beasom out first, Lynn second and Shatzer third. Action would continue after a red flag for three cars bicycling and stopping or flipped in turn one with Beasom out again with Lynn and Shatzer on the really fast clay oval. Lap after lap they chased each other as the pack behind them were changing every circuit. As they [Read More]

Harris hustles to Hagerstown IMCA RaceSaver win

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 20, 2024) – Jerald Harris finished the race right where he started it: At the front. Harris led the distance of Saturday’s IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event at Hagerstown Speedway, in the first of five races at the Maryland oval co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highland Sprint Series. After running second in his heat, Harris and Jay Fry paced the 25-car field to green with Harris out first before Fry got too high in the loose stuff and spun to a stop. On the second start, Harris was out again with Dylan Shatzer now in second followed by Caleb Harris, John Scarborough and Ben Miklos. Following another caution, Harris and Shatzer were joined by Scarborough and Caleb Harris. The leader was stretching it out with Shatzer and Scarborough battling for second and behind them it was sprinters swapping every spot every lap. A stalled car slowed the field bunching it up as the end was near but Harris took off and left second place up [Read More]

Hendershot takes opener at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (April 13, 2024) – On a windy and sunny day, Donnie Hendershot flew like the to finish first in the season opening race for the Virginia Sprint Series at Natural Bridge Speedway. Hendershot and Jerald Harris paced the Saturday night IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green. Hendershot used the low line to gain the lead with Harris staying high while John Scarborough used the low line and was on Harris quickly. Scarborough made it to second as Hendershot continued out front and with the laps winding down, traffic was coming up and that allowed Scarborough to close in. With the white flag waving, Scarborough was within striking distance as he made the final push but Hendershot stayed strong streaking under the waving checkered flag. At the line it was Scarborough, Jerald Harris, Caleb Harris and Matthew Leach completing the top five behind Hendershot. On Saturday, April 20, the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series will join up at Hagerstown Speedway for the second race of the [Read More]

Mullis roars to IMCA Sprint win at the Mountain

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Sept. 30, 2023) – Shenandoah Speedway’s slogan is “Where The Mountain Roars” and Bill Mullis roared all the way to the Virginia Sprint Series win, leading every lap of the Saturday night IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event. The special feature-only event had Mullis and Matthew Leach on the front row with Mullis out first and bringing Matt Mullins with him. Billy Hubbard started to challenge Mullins for second and finally got by, leaving Leach to go after Mullins as Mullis continued out front. Hubbard tried to run down Mullis but he was smooth and steady out front all the way to his first checkered flag. At the line it was Hubbard, Mullins, Leach, Chris Ware and French Grimes next across the stripe. The final race of the year will be a special event at Langley Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Harris hauls at Hampton

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (Sept. 16) – Jerald Harris in the Harris Movers IMCA RaceSaver Sprinter sure had a handle on the Langley Speedway Saturday evening as he led every lap for a convincing win, his Virginia Sprint Series-leading third of the year. Harris and Matt Mullins lead the field to green with a bad outcome leaving Chris Humblet and Aaron Leach being towed to the infield and finished for the night. The second start was a good one as Harris jumped out and had Mullins right behind with Caleb Harris in third and Matthew Leach fourth. Harris was on a rail lap after lap with Mullins holding on the second as Leach made his way to third. Leach was all over Mullins when they got to traffic but Mullins stayed smooth and limited chances for Leach to pass. Harris was cruising as he took the final lap and completed the heat and feature sweep of the night as Mullins pulled away to come in second. Leach ended in third. Harris had also won [Read More]

Shatzer Streaks to hometown Hub City Win

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (Aug. 5, 2023) – Hometown driver Dylan Shatzer streaked to heat and feature wins in the Saturday night IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car show at Hagerstown Speedway. Twenty-four cars took to the Hub City oval in the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series and Virginia Sprint Series co-sanctioned event. Shatzer and Ryan Lynn paced the field to green with Shatzer low and Lynn high, but before the field could even settle down, Lynn coasted to a stop with mechanical issues. On the restart, Shatzer took off with Reed Thompson and Stevie Kenawell close behind. Shatzer was trying to run away as Thompson and Kenawell were keeping in touch, but even as traffic came in to play the track was wide with many groves it wouldn’t hold up Shatzer. It all went wrong for Kenawell as he slid to a stop with a few laps to go, giving Thompson one more shot at the win. On the green, Shatzer took off clean and Thompson stayed close, but not close enough to mount a charge [Read More]

Scarborough sweeps Winchester

By Jim Haines WINCHESTER, Va. (July 29, 2023) – John Scarborough had a perfect night Saturday, winning his heat and taking the top spot of the feature at Winchester Speedway co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series. Twenty-four IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars signed in on what turned out to be a breezy, nice evening. Scarborough and Ryan Lynn paced the feature to green with Scarborough staying low and leaving Lynn to deal with a charging Donnie Hendershot. The track was full of cars and traffic came in to play quickly, bunching up the frontrunners. Scarborough stayed low and worked his way through but not without Hendershot and Lynn staying right on him and sometimes next to him. Hendershot made a run for the lead after getting by Lynn but a yellow for a stalled car slowed the pace. With two to go, Scarborough took off and Hendershot was not able to keep Lynn behind him as retook second and laps ran out to make a charge as Scarborough flashed under a [Read More]

Harris is first to repeat 2023 Virginia Sprint Series checkers

SHENANDOAH, Va. (July 15, 2023) – The Virginia Sprint Series got its first repeat winner of the season Saturday night as Jerald Harris streaked to a second straight IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory as black clouds rolled toward Shenandoah Speedway. Also the feature winner two weeks ago at Langley Speedway, Harris prepped for the main event by topping his heat race then, with inclement weather on the way, helped Daren Bolac leading the main event field to green. Harris stayed a little high and swept around Bolac to take the top spot as Aaron Leach made his way to third. Laps flew by on the pavement as Harris stayed smooth with tire management a priority. Bolac headed to the pits as Matt Mullins made his way to third with Robert Tyler making it to fourth. The caution-free event helped Harris maintain his smooth pace. He had the field closing but the challengers ran out of time. Harris topped the field and beat the rain to the checkered flag. Leach and Mullins were next across the [Read More]